French

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 black peppercorns
  • 4 cubes of chicken stock
  • 4 cups of water
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 slices of Udi’s Gluten-free Multigrain bread, toasted
  • 1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated

Bring the water to boil in a medium-sized pot and then add the cubes of chicken stock. In a larger-sized pot, sauté onions and garlic until brown in butter. Add the peppercorns and bay leaves to the onions and garlic. Then add the chicken stock into the large pot. Boil for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Pour the soup in a bowl- filling it 3/4 the way to leave room for a slice of bread. Place on slice of toasted bread gently on the soup. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese to cover the entire bread reaching the edges of the bowl. Broil in oven until the cheese has melted and browned. Enjoy warm!

P.S. Happy belated Celiac Awareness Day!

Le Pain Quotidien

“Something beautiful is on the horizon.”

It’s a new age. A new time. A new beginning. You are no longer a foreign entity. In fact, you may be considered a trendsetter of sorts. People recognize, accept, and understand what the phrase “gluten-free” means. Restaurants accommodate people who are “gluten-free”. And more and more people are joining the bandwagon and becoming “gluten-free”. It’s a wonderful new world.

Early this month, my friends and I decided to check out the new place in town. Originally, a Cosi’s stood at the intersection in our town, but right before our eyes came a French eatery- Le Pain Quotidien. Although we weren’t all too sentimental over the loss of the Cosi’s, we couldn’t confirm our feeling towards the change until we tried out the new restaurant. Of course before we went, I scoured the menu online looking for gluten-free options. Now I didn’t find a whole separate gluten-free menu; however, I did discover an array of wonderful gluten-free choices. In the “Tartines” or Belgian open-faced sandwiches, you have the option of gluten-free bread that can be topped with curried chicken salad, smoked salmon,  and paris ham & aged gruyère just to name a few. The menu also has a variety of salads that honestly I am dying to try. The smoked salmon and beet salad will most definitely be my next meal at this restaurant! As for what I ate this time, I had a six-vegetable tart. It consisted of artichoke, vegetables, and tofu on a gluten-free buckwheat crust. It was a lighter, more veggie-ful version of a quiche. Similar shape and size, but a completely different dish when it hits your taste pallet. Additionally, this restaurant marks all its vegan options on the menu!

Although I didn’t indulge in the desserts at this restaurant, they had a few gluten-free options. Both their coconut macaroons and almond meringue are gluten-free. However, the menu online is a sample menu, so the menu based on location can vary. The location I dined at only had the macaroons, for example (and coconut just wasn’t sounding all too appealing to me that day), however I was lucky that they did have the six vegetable tart.

In addition to the dining experience, you can also shop their selections of teas, nut butters, spreads, sauces, marinades, pastries, cookies, cakes, etc. Granted, not everything is gluten-free, there is still a decent selection that I think is worth browsing. If you do have a location nearby, I would highly recommend making the trip. I like to call it the new and cozier Cosi’s!

Cheers,

Anika

Baked Camembert with Mango Chutney

Ingredients:

  • 1 8 oz. wheel of Camembert cheese
  • 1/3 cup mango chutney
  • A dash of cardamom powder

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut off one side of the rind. Bake the Camembert for 8 minutes. Take the cheese out and put all the mango chutney on the center of the Camembert. Bake again for 4-6 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!

*The baked Camembert is great with gluten-free crackers!

Bistro D’oc

After touring the capital city on segways, we had built up quite an appetite (it was most likely the heat)! But nonetheless, we were hungry after a day of exploring and decided to dine at a French restaurant in the touristy area of DC. Although there was no gluten-free menu, our server being French new the contents of each dish back and forth. For starters, we were rather adventurous in ordering Cervelle D’Agneau. Simply a fancy, French way of saying lamb brains. I will spare you of excruciating details, but it was excellent. For my entrée, I ordered the special: mussels in a garlicky white wine base with pommes frites, and a side of creamed young spinach. Everything in my entrée was delicious and very authentic. However, the portions were closer to American standard size rather than French. As for dessert, I indulged in a dessert special, a chocolate mousse with orange peel ice cream. The mousse was unlike anything I had before. The texture wasn’t airy, but neither was it too rich. And the ice cream was house made. The flavor was delicious!

I recommend this restaurant to anyone in DC looking for some great French food!

Cheers!

Anika

Spinach and Tomato Quiche

Ingredients:

  • 1 prepared GF pie crust (I use the Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse Pie Crust)
  • 1 (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1/2 cup onions, cut in long strips
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese
  • 4 oz ricotta cheese
  • 2 oz low-fat sour cream
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tbsp  honey mustard
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Bake pie crust individually. Time and temperature depends on the brand of the crust. Follow instructions given on the package.   After the crust is baked, set temperature to 375°. Make sure spinach is fully drained. Sauté the onions until golden brown. Layer the baked curst with the drained spinach on the bottom, the golden brown onions over the spinach, and cheddar cheese over that.Next, combine the sour cream, ricotta cheese, eggs, milk, mustard, and any salt and pepper, if you desire, in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix well. Pour the mixture over the spinach, onion, and cheese layers. Place four tomato slices on top of the quiche. Bake for 45 minutes and check to see if its baked by inserting a knife in the center and seeing if it comes out clean. If not, then bake for longer. Let the quiche cool down for 5-10 minutes.

Aux Petits Delices

Finally, the time has come: my first bakery review! As a fellow gluten-free foodie, you know as well as I do that bakeries contain all the wheat flour filled goodies that we are deprived of. Is this a gluten-free bakery? Sadly no. But it has many gluten-free treats for us to munch on along side with our friends!

This fine French bakery is well known for its pastries, chocolates, and cakes. Located in the heart of Wayne, PA, its one of the “Main Line’s” best bakeries. You absolutely must try the handmade chocolates. Simply ask which ones are not contaminated with gluten. My favorites include the Louvre, a white chocolate with the center of marinated raspberries, and the Hazelnut Diamond, a milk chocolate filled with hazelnut cream and fresh hazelnut. They are simply divine!

You may be thinking, okay, I’ve got to try some fancy chocolates, but any baked goods? Well, of course! The French bakery offers a specialty gluten-free cake menu. I have ordered one of these cakes (made of almond flour and potato starch) almost every year when my birthday rolls around. My two favorites are Citronelle which is an almond cake with lemon filling, and Delice which is a chocolate mousse with hazelnut crunch. I have yet to try all five year-round gluten-free options. And I’ve heard the macaroons (gluten-free) are just scrumptious!*

Cheers,

Anika

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* I finally got around to trying the macaroons and would definitely vouch for them! The vanilla bean and raspberry ones are my favorite.